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Thinking about visiting Tonga? Check out these guides to visiting a little known gem of the South Pacific!
Post-2022 Information
Post-2022 Information
Volcanic Eruption & Tsunami
Volcanic Eruption & Tsunami
On January 15th, 2022, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption occurred in the small island nation of Tonga, sending shockwaves around the earth. The volcano is located 65km northwest of Tongatapu, the main island, and triggered a tsunami that significantly impacted Tongatapu,a s well as Nomuka Iki, Mango, and Tonumea islands.
As a result, most of the resorts on the north west side of Tongatapu were destroyed due to the tsunami, and the tourism industry in Tonga is still recovering. This makes Tonga an incredible place to visit with low tourism and lots of natural beauty.
If you are travelling to Tonga and enjoy reading, I cannot stress this enough: BRING ALL YOUR READING MATERIAL WITH YOU!
After the tsunami, most of the book shops and personal collections were destroyed. There is one bookstore on 'Eua that has no more than a dozen books, each incredibly expensive and wrapped in cling wrap to keep safe. In Tongatapu there is a larger book shop but they are very expensive due to the remoteness. I did not find any book swaps or community libraries, and it was really difficult to trade books with locals.
Busses, Taxis, Hire Cars, and Hitchhiking in Tonga
Home stays, beach fales, and hotels
Getting to and from the airport, airport accomodation, and the inter-island ferries
Information on culture, environment, and turtles
Important information to know before you go
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Interesting Facts About Tonga
Interesting Facts About Tonga
Tonga has one of the smallest armed forces in the world, and whilst it is a military institution, a large portion of His Majesty's Armed Forces focuses on the band! If you're interested in learning more about how Tonga adopted a western-style military to perpetuate peace - not war - check out my article with the Lowy Institute.
Tonga and His Majesty's Armed Forces: A military made for peace
Browse my top secrets of Samoa - you won't find this information anywhere else!
Whale Season
Most people visit Tonga during whale season, as this is one of the cheapest countries that you can go to swim with the humpback whales. Whale season in Tonga is between July to early November, although you will want to book in advance as many of the resorts running whale tours were affected by the 2022 eruption and tsunami.
Spending good quality time with whales is not guaranteed on every boat outing, so make sure you plan sufficient time to stay in Tonga! If you are doing a 5-day whale trip, you are likely to get between 1 and 3 excellent days with the whales. For an 8-day trip, you’re more likely to get 4 or 5 excellent days. If you have come to Tonga specifically to swim with whales, we strongly recommend you do a longer trip to maximise the chance of having incredible encounters with the humpback whales and their calves.
Make sure you do your research before your trip! I went to Tonga during February - right during cyclone season (and sure enough, I got stuck on 'Eua for an extra 5 days due to a cyclone). This was intentional, and incredible, as I only met two other backpackers during my entire trip. Now bless their cotton socks - these two German boys had been travelling around New Zealand and heard that you could see whales in Tonga. Not only did they come to Tonga during cyclone season instead of whale season, but their budget didn't permit them to leave Tongatapu to go explore, and they had no idea what they were doing. I took them hitchhiking for a day and they were beautiful company to have, but a great reminder of the importance of doing basic research before you travel!
What’s With All The Broken Cars?
What’s With All The Broken Cars?
Due to the high cost of importing vehicles to the Tonga, and the lack of facilities to dispose of broken cars, people will drive them until the car literally can no longer be repaired. It is not uncommon for cars to be missing doors or windows, and that’s part of the fun of Tonga!
Book Suggestion!
Book Suggestion!
Genuinely, this is one of my favourite books of all time.
Keep in mind my bias - my career is based in and around the Pacific and I would die for a good political satire.
This book has it all.
Written by Epeli Hau'ofa, you can buy this book usually either in Tonga at the Friendly Island Bookstore in Nuku'Alofa, or in Fiji at the University of the South Pacific campus, but it is very difficult to find a copy in print anywhere else. If you're interested, a preview is available here on Google Books.
In this book, Epeli Hua'ofa takes us through 12 short satircal stories focusing on what life is like in a culture where aid is constant, 9-5 is not, and the most important priority is living a "good life", not a stressful one. There are stories about the anorexic pigs of Tonga, the rationale that an unbroken car is an unloved car, the unbreakable cycle of development aid, and the utmost importancy of celebration and family over the utility of cows. It's a hilarious read, if you can find the book in print!
Map of Sites in Tonga
Map of Sites in Tonga
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